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Happy Friday Families!

We had a busy week back from break.  On Monday we quickly fell back into our routine and were able to get a lot done!  Here is a snapshot of what we did this week:

Reading:
The kids have been enjoying their fantasy novels and meeting with their book clubs to discuss what is happening in their books.
Next week, we will begin our humor unit and I will be reading Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks as the class read aloud.  I have been enjoying all of our units of study in reading and I cannot wait to begin humor!

Writing:
This week, any students who had not finished their animal research papers were given time each day to finish up and get it turned in.  Today was the final due date and we are ready to move on!
The next unit we are focusing our attention on is Literary Essays.  This type of writing can prove to be quite challenging for third graders.  We will walk through this process together; I will be modeling and providing samples, the students will be reading, investigating characters they can empathize with, and will begin building their essays.
This will be a great introduction to a writing unit they will revisit again in 4th grade!

Math:
Monday began Unit 8, in which we are taking a close look at fractions; naming the parts of fractions, looking at them on the number line, finding equivalent fractions, and comparing them.  We also did a fun experiment that helped students begin to understand probability, chance, and making predictions based on "random draws".

Reminder:
*On Monday the 15th, we will be taking the Smarter Balanced training test and on Monday the 22nd, we will be taking the S.B. pilot test.  Both tests will begin by 8:30 a.m. both days.

Have a great weekend!